U.S. patent number 4,936,470 [Application Number 07/335,223] was granted by the patent office on 1990-06-26 for caddy.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Robinson Knife Manufacturing Co., Inc.. Invention is credited to William A. Prindle.
United States Patent |
4,936,470 |
Prindle |
June 26, 1990 |
Caddy
Abstract
A caddy for storing articles, such as kitchen utensils, having
first and second parts provided with pockets for receiving articles
to be stored, and are connected by a hinge for swinging movement
from a flatwise condition suitable for permitting hanging of the
caddy on a wall, wherein the pockets are arranged side-by-side and
extend in the same direction, and a folded condition suitable for
permitting support of the caddy on a generally horizontally
disposed support surface, wherein the pockets are arranged
back-to-back and extend in opposite directions. The parts are
provided with roller members arranged when the parts are in folded
condition to support the caddy on the support surface for
rotational movements.
Inventors: |
Prindle; William A. (Santa
Barbara, CA) |
Assignee: |
Robinson Knife Manufacturing Co.,
Inc. (Springville, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
23310803 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/335,223 |
Filed: |
April 10, 1989 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
211/70.7;
211/104; 211/88.01; D7/637 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B
63/00 (20130101); A47J 47/16 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47B
63/00 (20060101); A47J 47/16 (20060101); A47J
47/00 (20060101); A47F 007/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;211/70.7,88,2,85,104,35,132,60.1,70.6,71 ;220/23.83,23.4 ;206/315R
;D7/73 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Chin-Shue; Alvin C.
Assistant Examiner: Lechok; Sarah A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bean, Kauffman & Spencer
Claims
What is claimed is
1. A caddy for storing articles comprising:
first and second parts, each of said first and second parts having
a back portion having front and rear surfaces and oppositely
disposed first and second edges and a front portion extending from
said front surface and having at least one pocket for storing an
article;
hinge means joining said first edges of said back portions to
permit swinging movement of said first and second parts between an
open position in which said rear surfaces lie in an essentially
coplanar relationship with said front portions being disposed in a
side-by-side relationship and a closed position in which said rear
surfaces lie in a facing relationship, said front portions face in
opposite directions, said back portion having means for removably
suspending said caddy, said front portion having means for
removably supporting said caddy on a generally horizontally
disposed surface; and
latch means for releasably retaining said first and second parts in
said closed position.
2. A caddy according to claim 1, wherein said latch means is a
generally U-shaped member sized to removably, slidably receive said
second edges of said back portions.
3. A caddy according to claim 1, wherein said means for removably
supporting said caddy include roller members.
4. A caddy according to claim 3, wherein said roller members are
removably snap-fit connected to said front portions.
5. A caddy according to claim 3, wherein said roller members
support said caddy for rotation about an axis disposed essentially
parallel to said first and second edges and extending essentially
centrally through said caddy when said first and second parts are
in said closed position.
6. A caddy according to claim 3, wherein said first and second
parts and said hinge means are of integrally formed molded plastic
construction and said roller members are snapfit connected to said
front portions.
7. A caddy according to claim 6, wherein said front portions each
have at least one pair of depending bearing flanges and an
associated pair of resiliently deformable retaining flanges, each
of said roller members includes a rim portion and an axle portion,
and said retaining flanges releasably retain said axle portion in
rotary bearing engagement with said bearing flanges.
8. A caddy according to claim 7, wherein said roller members
support said caddy for rotation about an axis disposed essentially
parallel to said first and second edges and extending essentially
centrally through said caddy when said first and second parts are
in said closed position.
9. A caddy according to claim 8, wherein said latch means is a
generally U-shaped member sized to removably, slidably receive said
second edges of said back portions.
10. A caddy for storing articles and adapted to be alternatively
suspended from a wall or the like or bottom supported by a
generally horizontally disposed support surface, said caddy
comprising:
an integrally formed molded plastic body having first and second
parts provided with pockets for supporting articles to be stored
and a hinge connecting said parts for swinging movement about a
hinge axis from a flatwise condition suitable for suspension from
said wall, wherein said pockets are side-by-side and extend in the
same direction, and a folded condition suitable for being supported
by said support surface, wherein said pockets are back-to-back and
extend in opposite directions; and
latch means for releasably retaining said parts in said folded
condition.
11. A caddy according to claim 10, wherein each of said first and
second parts carries roller members for supporting said caddy on
said support surface for rotational movement about a rotational
axis disposed essentially parallel to said hinge axis when said
parts are in said folded condition.
12. A caddy according to claim 11, wherein each of said first and
second parts carries a pair of roller members whose axes of
rotation essentially intersect with said rotational axis when said
parts are in said folded condition.
13. A caddy according to claim 12, wherein said first and second
parts are of essentially rectangular plan view configuration, and
said caddy, when said first and second parts are in said folded
condition, has an essentially square plan view configuration.
14. A caddy according to claim 12, wherein said first and second
parts include integrally formed flange means for removably
rotatably supporting said roller members.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to caddies or portable units adapted
for storing articles, such as kitchen utensils.
Prior caddies used for storing kitchen utensils of which I am aware
are typically formed with one or more upwardly opening pockets,
each sized to store one or more utensils and adapted to be either
suspended from a wall, such as is shown by U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,102,
or simply supported on a horizontally disposed support surface,
such as is shown by U.S. Pat. No. Des. 299,402. Caddies of the
latter type have also been mounted on "lazy susans" in order to
allow the caddies to be rotated about a vertical axis to facilitate
access to the several pockets of the caddies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an improved article storage
caddy, which is adapted for mounting on both vertical and
horizontal surfaces.
More particularly, the invention relates to a caddy which can be
folded from a flatwise condition, wherein article receiving pockets
of the caddy are arranged side-by-side to allow for hanging of the
caddy from a wall, into a folded condition, wherein the pockets are
arranged back-to-back allowing for support of the caddy on a
horizontal surface, such as defined by a shelf or table. The caddy
is provided with roller members arranged when the caddy is in
folded condition to permit the caddy to be rotated for purposes of
facilitating access to the several pockets of the caddy.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The nature and mode of operation of the present invention will now
be more fully described in the following detailed description taken
with the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an article storage caddy of the
present invention shown in a flatwise condition;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the caddy shown in a folded
condition;
FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the caddy in a folded
condition;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along the
line 4--4 in FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of one corner of the caddy,
as viewed in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 6--6 in
FIG. 5; and
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 7--7 in
FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A caddy formed in accordance with the present invention and adapted
for use in storing articles, not shown, is generally designated as
10 in FIGS. 1-3. Caddy 10 is shown as having first and second parts
12a and 12b defined by back portions 14a and 14b and front portions
16a and 16b, respectively.
Back portions 14a and 14b may be considered as having front and
rear surfaces 18a and 18b and 20a and 20b, respectively, and
oppositely disposed first and second edges 22a, 24a and 22b, 24b,
respectively. As best shown in FIG. 1, back portions 14a and 14b
are preferably provided with means, such as through openings 26a
and 26b sized and shaped to receive fastener or hook devices, not
shown, by which caddy 10 may be suspended or supported relative to
a vertically disposed surface, such as a wall, not shown, when the
caddy is disposed in its open or flatwise condition shown in this
figure. As best shown in FIG. 4, first edges 22a and 22b are
connected by an integrally formed, resiliently deformable hinge or
strap 28, and second edges 24a and 24b are of a wedge-shaped
cross-sectional design. Hinge 28 serves to connect parts 12a and
12b for swinging movement between the open or flatwise position
shown in FIG. 1 and the closed or folded position shown in FIGS. 2
and 3 about a hinge axis 28a shown only in FIGS. 2 and 4, which
extends lengthwise of the hinge and first edges 22a and 22b. Caddy
10 may be releasably retained in closed or folded condition by
sliding a generally U-shaped latch member 30 lengthwise of second
edges 24a and 24b, as shown in FIGS. 2-4.
Front portions 16a and 16b project from front surfaces 18a and 18b
and, as desired, either cooperate therewith or individually to
define one or more upwardly opening pockets 32a and 32b, sized to
receive articles, such as kitchen utensils, to be stored. Front
portions 16a and 16b are shown in FIG. 3 as having bottom surfaces
34a and 34b, which are bounded by downwardly projecting rims 36a
and 36b and are provided with drain openings 38a and 38b disposed
in alignment with pockets 30a and 30b.
By referring to FIG. 3, it will be noted that parts 12a and 12b are
preferably provided with roller members 40a and 40b adapted for use
in supporting caddy 10 relative to a generally horizontally
disposed support surface, such as may be defined by a shelf or
table, not shown, when the caddy is disposed in its folded
condition shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. In the presently preferred
construction, roller members 40a and 40b are removably snap-fit
connected to front portions 16a and 16b by the arrangement best
shown in FIGS. 5-7 in the case of one of roller members 40a. By
referring to FIGS. 5-7, it will be noted that roller member 40a
includes a generally cylindrically shaped axle portion 42a
projecting in opposite directions from an integrally formed hub
portion 44a and a rim portion 46a preferably in the form of a
resiliently deformable O-ring received within an annular groove 48a
defined by the hub portion. Roller member 40a is supported for
rotation by a pair of bearing flanges 50a having aligned,
downwardly opening bearing recesses 52a sized to freely journal
axle portion 42a. A pair of resiliently deformable retaining
flanges 54a is associated with each pair of bearing flanges 50a and
serves to releasably maintain axle portion 42a seated within
bearing recesses 52a, as best shown in FIG. 6. As will be apparent
from viewing FIG. 6, retaining flanges 54a have free end
enlargements 56a, which are normally biased into positions in which
they underengage the ends of axle portion 42a for purposes of
maintaining the axle portion journalled within bearing recesses
52a. End enlargements 56a may be manually forced to move away from
one another when it is desired to removably insert axle portion 42a
into bearing recesses 52a.
When first and second parts 12a and 12b are disposed flatwise as
shown in FIG. 1, rear surfaces 20a and 20b lie in an essentially
coplanar relationship with front portions 16a and 16b being
disposed in a side-by-side relationship to project in the same
direction away from a wall or other surface to which caddy 10 is
attached with the aid of openings 26a and 26b. With caddy 10 so
disposed, ready access to articles stored within each of pockets
32a and 32b is provided to a user facing the caddy.
When it is desired to support caddy 10 on a shelf or tabletop, as
opposed to a wall, a user would be required to fold the caddy along
the axis defined by hinge 28 until rear surfaces 20a and 20b lie in
a parallel or face-to-face position shown in FIG. 2, and to then
slide latch member 30 lengthwise of second edges 24a and 24b for
purposes of latching or retaining the caddy in its folded
condition. When caddy 10 is disposed in folded condition, front
portions 16a and 16b face in opposite directions, thereby requiring
the caddy to be turned for purposes of affording access to articles
in both of pockets 32a and 32b. If desired, caddy 10 may be
supported on a shelf or tabletop by depending rims 36a and 36b. It
is preferable, however, to mount roller members 40a and 40b on
caddy 10 for purposes of lifting depending rims 36a and 36b from
the supporting surface, which they would otherwise engage, and
facilitate manual movement of the caddy to provide ready access to
stored articles. With a view towards both preventing caddy 10 from
unintentionally rolling off of a supporting surface and
facilitating ready access to the stored articles, roller members
40a and 40b are arranged in the orientation shown in FIG. 3 in
which they cooperate to support the caddy for rotation about a
vertical axis designated as 60 in FIGS. 2 and 3, which is disposed
essentially centrally and vertically through the folded caddy.
Specifically, this is achieved by positioning roller members 40a
and 40b adjacent the outer corners of bottom surfaces 34a and 34b
and arranging the rotational axes of the roller members such that
they essentially intersect with the vertical axis of rotation of
the caddy. With the caddy design depicted in the drawings where
first and second parts 12a and 12b are of rectangular plan view
configuration and sized to provide a folded caddy plan view
configuration, which is essentially square, the axes of rotation of
each pair of roller members 40a and 40b would intersect at right
angles.
While alternate constructions are possible, the presently preferred
construction contemplates that the whole of caddy 10, except for
latch member 30 and roller members 40a and 40b, will be integrally
mold formed from a suitable plastic material, which is resiliently
deformable to an extent required to permit resilient flexures of
hinge 28 and retaining flanges 54a and 54b, as described above.
Roller members 40a and 40b, except for O-rings 46a and 46b, and
latch member 30 may be conveniently formed from the same plastic
material.
The number, shape and size of pockets 32a and 32b are matters of
choice. Moreover, the term pockets, as used herein, is meant to
include hooks, clamps or the like, not shown, which project from
back portion 14a and 14b and are suitable for use in supporting
articles to be stored.
Further, it is contemplated that one or more portions of caddy 10
may bear desired indicia adapted to enhance the aesthetic
appearance and/or the functionality of the caddy. For example, the
exterior surface of latch element 30 may bear indicia allowing same
to be used as a ruler marked in English and/or metric units of
length.
* * * * *